Editor’s Note: Frequent Fox and Hounds contributor, Joe Mathews, will give his unique perspective on all eleven November ballot measures over the course of the next month. He will take them in the order they appear on the ballot.
The stakes are so high on Prop 40. The referendum is so important, in fact, that the sponsors of the referendum haven’t even bothered to campaign for it. Its importance is just so obvious.
Prop 40 is an attempt to block the new state senate districts produced by the citizens redistricting commission. The California Republican Party — an entity well known for its foresight, financial management and long-term strategic planning – spent millions of dollars to qualify a referendum, despite the party’s deficit, because it was so important to block those districts.
What happened? Well, qualifying the referendum triggered review by the California Supreme Court. The court turned down the legal challenge and installed the state senate districts the commission put in place. So of course, the referendum had to be qualified.
And so what happens if the “no” side prevails, and the state senate districts are blocked? Well, the very same California Supreme Court will be charged with drawing new lines. And by all indications, the justices will draw state senate districts that look very similar to the ones that the commission produced.
So vote yes. Or vote no. Because Prop 40 really, really matters.